The Torture of Failure
by violets92
Summary: Post HBP, Pre DH. The last thing Snape heard was the torturous scream from Draco as The Dark Lord punished him.


He'd failed. Well and truly failed. They, no He, was going to kill him. Draco was sure of it. What he wasn't so sure of, was how his life got so screwed up all of a sudden. Oh yeah, that's right…he became a Death Eater. He wanted to be his father and now, as a result here he was, running miles away from the school he had lived at for almost six years. And as much as he'd hated Hogwarts for all it's ignorance of important magic, Draco wasn't so sure he wanted to leave any more.

At first, joining up to be on the Dark Lord's side had seemed like a good idea. It was thrilling. His friends would be impressed and he'd finally get revenge for his father. It was family tradition. But now, it all just seemed idiotic, branding his skin with a tattoo that burned like hell, throwing unforgivable curses left and right, having a mission to kill one of the most powerful wizards in history. And for what? So he could prove to people he was more than just a bad-boy womaniser? Draco mentally scoffed. He was in deep shit.

He'd finished running. Well, the truth was, he just couldn't run any more. In all his years of quidditch training, he hadn't had to run this far, ever. As he stopped to catch a few breaths, Draco suddenly heard a noise behind in the bushes. Pure instinct told him to draw his wand and ready himself for a fight. Actually, his father had taught him that…one of the only useful things he'd ever told his son.

"Put down your wand Draco." A cold, but familiar voice entered his ears.

"Professor-"

"Not now! They could still be following." Snape moved in front of Draco and began to walk briskly in the bitter wind. Draco jogged to catch up, feeling as if he was going to collapse.

After another hour of walking in silence, Snape and Draco reached a small cave. Why they couldn't just have apparated was beyond Draco, but he wasn't about to ask. He doubted Snape was in the mood. After all, no matter how many rewards he was going to get from Voldemort, it didn't change the fact that he killed a man.

"In here." Snape ushered Draco into the darkness of the cave. Immediately, the older male lit a fire and started to pace.

"Pro-"

"We can't stay here for long. The Dark Lord will want a report on tonight's events." Draco looked up sharply with a touch of fear in his eyes. Snape almost laughed. "You can't expect to be on the run forever. The Dark Lord will want a first hand account from me, and he'll _definitely _want a report from you."

"He'll kill me. I failed. I can't go back!"

"He intended me to do the job in the first place. He was testing you Draco."

"And I failed. He'll kill me."

"He will not kill you." Snape's voice was calm and cold, yet oddly reassuring. The same as it always had been.

"And how do you know?" Draco spat bitterly. "You haven't been-"

"Ah…you're forgetting that once I go back there, I am no longer just a Death Eater Draco, I was the one who killed Dumbledore." A touch of regret laced his voice, however, it barely made itself apparent before vanishing. "There will be rewards."

"How-"

"If I tell the Dark Lord to spare your life, he most likely will." Draco scoffed.

"Yeah right! He's the Dark Lord! He can kill whoever the hell he likes!"

"True, however, unless you truly betray him, he will, in all likelihood, spare your life if asked by his most loyal Death Eater." Draco noticed the bitterness in Snape's voice as he said the last part of the sentence.

"That's assuming you even ask him to." Malfoy muttered. Snape drew himself up to his full height and turned to the boy.

"As much as I'd like to ignore that statement, I will remind you that I made an Unbreakable Vow that stated that I protect you as if you were my own. I will not break it. I made a promise to your mother that I would do everything in my power to defend you, should the need arise. If the need arises tonight, I will fulfil that vow. You will not die."

Snape turned away from Draco's stunned face and put out the fire. Immediately, the boy felt a cold chill down his spine. Not just at the cold either.

"We have to go. The Dark Lord is waiting."

Draco did everything in his power not to run away from the circle of Death Eaters standing twenty feet in front of him. He had always taken the coward's way out in everything he did in his life. He lied to his father, faked sick on Defence Against the Dark Arts exams he wasn't ready for, and as much as he hated to admit it, he'd taken the coward's way when he confronted Potter. But now, he had to stop being weak. He needed to face whatever was coming. Be it the Cruciatus Curse or death.

"Ah, Severus, Draco, how nice to see you've finally graced us with your presence." Voldemort sneered, almost letting a grin slip onto his snake-like face.

"Excuse our tardiness, My Lord." Snape bent down to kiss Voldemort's robes. Draco did the same. "We had a bit of a trouble getting back. Potter and his little friends wanted a bit of revenge." Voldemort sneered evilly again.

"No matter. That should have been expected. After all, Potter has always been Dumbledore's favourite boy." Draco almost laughed but his face turned pale when the Dark Lord turned to him.

"Ah, Draco…I hear you had a little trouble with your _mission_ tonight. Do tell me, why was it not completed?"

"My Lord, I am so-"

"Do not tell me you are sorry!" Voldemort flared up. "I gave you a mission. You were meant to accomplish it. You did not. Therefore, you will be punished, whether you have a reason or not. Do you have a reason?"

"No My Lord." Draco looked ashamed. Voldemort grinned sadistically.

"I cannot have a Death Eater in my circle that cannot complete his tasks." Voldemort began to raise his wand.

"My Lord," Snape stepped forward. Draco almost sighed in relief.

"Yes Severus?" It took all of Voldemort's strength not to Crucio Snape on the spot; however, he regained control quickly.

"As much as I realise Draco needs to be punished, I would like to ask that you spare his life tonight. He did get us into the castle, and without his expertise in fixing cupboards," Malfoy seethed, "we would not have been able to corner Dumbledore." Voldemort lowered his wand and looked at Snape, obviously performing Legilmency. After a minute he turned to Draco.

"I would say you are lucky to have a person like Severus looking out for you, however, I doubt that it was luck that spared you tonight." He turned back to Snape. "You will be rewarded for your efforts, Severus." He turned again to the circle of well-worn Death Eaters. "The meeting is over. You may all leave. Yes, Severus, you may as well. Draco, you stay." Snape and Draco exchanged a look. Obviously nothing good could happen alone with the Dark Lord.

Snape bent down yet again to kiss the hem of the Dark Lord's robes, before standing up to apparate back to Spinner's End.

The last thing he heard was the torturous scream from Draco as The Dark Lord punished him.


End file.
